1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the general art of bathrooms, and to the particular field of commodes.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
There is a constant running battle between people regarding the proper position of a toilet seat. There are those who believe that the proper position of a toilet seat is closed over the toilet bowl, and there are those who believe that there is no required protocol for toilet seat position and any position of the toilet seat, even xe2x80x9cupxe2x80x9d uncovering the toilet bowl, is acceptable. People from both groups often inhabit the same domicile.
Accordingly, people from the first group, relying on a toilet seat being down when they seat themselves, often encounter the toilet bowl rather than the expected toilet seat. This is not only disconcerting, it can be dangerous, especially to an older person.
For purposes of this disclosure, a toilet seat is in an xe2x80x9cupxe2x80x9d condition when that toilet seat is located in a plane that is upright with respect to a plane containing the rim of the toilet bowl, and is in a xe2x80x9cdownxe2x80x9d condition when that toilet seat is resting on the toilet bowl and is located in a plane that is nearly parallel to the plane containing the top rim of the toilet seat.
People in the second group often simply forget to replace the toilet seat in a xe2x80x9cdownxe2x80x9d condition covering the toilet bowl after using the toilet.
Therefore, there is a need for a toilet seat lifting mechanism that makes it easy to move a toilet seat into an xe2x80x9cupxe2x80x9d condition and to thereafter return the toilet seat to the xe2x80x9cdownxe2x80x9d condition.
The art contains numerous disclosures of toilet seat lifting mechanisms. However, these mechanisms all have various drawbacks, from requiring a person to grasp a handle to being complicated and hence difficult to install and prone to malfunctions. If a person must grasp a handle connected to the toilet seat, this will discourage people from operating the mechanism because they do not want to touch the toilet seat and it is the same thing as simply moving the seat back by hand and thus is of questionable value for this purpose. If the mechanism is difficult to install, it may be expensive to install and may not be usable for a retrofit application. This is an especially important drawback for mechanisms that require a great deal of structural elements or which require electronic equipment.
The art also contains toilet seat lifting mechanisms that are operated by stepping on a foot pedal. However, these mechanisms are prone to failure since they use cables and the like. Cables are required because the mechanism connecting the foot pedal to the toilet seat includes a first class lever and movement of a toilet seat from a xe2x80x9cdownxe2x80x9d condition to an xe2x80x9cupxe2x80x9d condition with a mechanism that, uses a cable that requires the use of a first class lever. Cables can become frayed and may break or be difficult to keep clean. As used herein, a first class lever is a lever in which the fulcrum is located between the force and the weight being moved, a second class lever is a lever in which the weight is located between the fulcrum and the force, and a third class lever is a lever in which the force is located between the fulcrum and the weight being moved.
Therefore, there is a need for a toilet seat lifting mechanism that is easy to operate, install, maintain and which is reliable.
Still further, many of the toilet seat lifting mechanisms of the prior art locate a foot pedal to the side of the toilet bowl. This makes it difficult for a person to reach the foot pedal, and may even discourage the person from making the effort.
Therefore, there is a need for a toilet seat lifting mechanism that has an operating pedal located so a person is encouraged to use the mechanism.
It is a main object of the present invention to provide a toilet seat lifting mechanism which makes it easy to move a toilet seat into an xe2x80x9cupxe2x80x9d condition and to thereafter return the toilet seat to the xe2x80x9cdownxe2x80x9d condition.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a toilet seat lifting mechanism that is easy to operate, install, maintain and which is reliable.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a toilet seat lifting mechanism that has an operating pedal located so a person is encouraged to use the mechanism.
These, and other, objects are achieved by a toilet seat unit which includes a third class lever and has a foot pedal located in front of the toilet bowl. The structural elements and the operation and function of the unit embodying the present invention makes the seat easily and conveniently moved without the use of cables or the like.
Broadly, the toilet seat unit embodying the present invention comprises a toilet seat having a forward section and an aft section; a hinge pivotably attaching the aft section of the toilet seat to a bowl, the toilet seat moving between a xe2x80x9cclosedxe2x80x9d condition with the forward section of the toilet seat resting on the bowl and an xe2x80x9copenxe2x80x9d condition with the aft section of the toilet seat spaced apart from the toilet bowl as the toilet seat extends upwardly from the bowl; a toilet seat lifting mechanism which includes a base, a fulcrum pivotably connected to the base and resting on the floor adjacent to the bowl, a foot pedal attached to a proximal section of the base of the toilet seat lifting mechanism, a connecting unit pivotably connected to a distal section of the base of the toilet seat lifting mechanism, a seat mount fixed to the toilet seat, a pivot mechanism pivotably connecting the seat mount to the connecting unit of the toilet seat lifting mechanism, the pivot mechanism being located between the hinge and the forward section of the toilet seat; the base of the toilet seat lifting mechanism pivoting about the fulcrum of the toilet seat lifting mechanism in a manner of a first class lever to move between a first position with the foot pedal of the toilet seat lifting mechanism spaced upwardly from a floor on which the toilet bowl is supported and a second position with the foot pedal resting on the floor on which the toilet bowl is supported; and the seat mount pivoting about the hinge in the manner of a third class lever to move between the xe2x80x9copenxe2x80x9d condition and the xe2x80x9cclosedxe2x80x9d condition, with the third class lever including the connection between the toilet seat and the hinge, the pivot mechanism pivotally connecting the seat mount to the connecting unit of the toilet seat lifting mechanism and the seat mount fixed to the toilet seat.